Haines

Haines is a small port community (population about 2,000) in Southeastern Alaska on the shores of the Lynn Canal, the state's longest fjord. It is surrounded by glacier-covered mountains of the Coast Range.

Understand
If you loved the TV show Northern Exposure, you'll love the down-home feel of Haines. It's the kind of laid-back place you picture when you think about an Alaskan town. The first thing you'll notice when you arrive is how scenic Haines is.

Haines is blessed with surrounding natural areas and wildlife in what is known as the "Valley of the Eagles." The area is a magnet for bald eagles, drawn by the warm open water and abundant supply of salmon. More than 3,500 of the birds visit from October to February – during that time a dozen eagles may share a single tree limb.



Get in
There are three main ways to get to Haines, which makes Haines more accessible than most other southeast Alaskan communities of its size.

By car
The only road access to the remainder of the continent is on Highway 3 from Haines Junction, Yukon, located 155 miles away. At Haines Junction, Highway 3 intersects with Yukon Highway 1 (Alaska Highway).

By plane
It is possible to fly into, but the only scheduled commercial flights are from Juneau and Skagway. So you can fly Alaska Airlines to Juneau and then catch a smaller bush carrier or charter a flight into Haines. Haines Airport is on the Haines Highway, about 4 miles west of town.

By boat
The third, and probably most popular, way to Haines is by boat. The primary mode of inter-Alaskan transportation is by the Alaska Marine Highway. The Lynn Canal route of the ferry system (Juneau-Haines-Skagway) receives a large amount of ferry traffic, especially in the summer. The is about 4 miles north of town.

By cruise ship
Haines is a port-of-call to cruise ships, only about 20 calls per season, mainly from the Holland-America Line. The is where the cruise ship docks. If you are on a cruise that visits Haines, you can rest assured that your ship will be the only ship in port, and there won't be any large crowds to contend with in town.

Get around
Haines is small enough that you can easily walk around the town in an hour or two.

During cruise ship dockings, there is a Shuttle Bus service that runs every 30 minutes. It starts at the Port Chilkoot Dock, and makes a loop to the Sheldon Museum, Visitor Center, Library, Dalton City, Eagle Foundation, Fort Seward Historic District, and then back to the Dock.

There are no taxis in Haines. Occasionally there is one when someone tries to start a taxi business, but they don't survive. You will need a car, a bike, a shuttle service, or make a friend quick.

Eat
During summer there are a variety of restaurants open from sea food, wood fire cooked pizza, to Mexican. But in winter there can be times where no restaurants are open.

Go next
Take a fast ferry from the Small Boat Harbor or the Port Chilkoot Dock (check the point of departure) to Skagway or Juneau via the Lynn Canal.
 * Alaska Fjordlines, +1-800-320-0146
 * Chilkat Express, +1-855-766-4001
 * Fast Ferry, +1-888-766-2103